This film of the Silk Road Mountain Race will have you reaching for your mountain bike

A wonderful insight in to what it takes to cycle 1,700km

If lockdown has you seeking out adventure documentaries and films then be sure you watch the documentary of the very first Silk Road Mountain Race that took place in 2018. 

This 1,700km self-supported bikepacking race through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan is a real challenger and out of the 100 competitors that set off in August 2018, only a third finished.

We’ll let the documentary tell the story, but it focuses on the leaders of the race and shows just what it takes to get through an event like this.

If it’s sparked a fire in you to have a go yourself, then the website Selfsupported.net has some routes around the UK that you can go out and try at any time by yourself. All you have to do is download the GPX file for a route, pop that in your satnav and head out.

If you feel ready to take on a race then the Highland 550 is a good starting point.

The 2020 edition of the race takes place on 14th August 2020.